


Your Name Would Be A Good Tattoo

by Madzie



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec gets a lot of tattoos, Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, Magnus owns a tattoo parlar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 16:54:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7853332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madzie/pseuds/Madzie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I suppose not,” Magnus huffs out exasperatedly, as he pats down on one of the empty seats. “I mean you practically pay for half my rent.”</p><p>	“And here I thought you enjoyed my enthralling conversations about alternate dimensions, and my demonic cat,” Alec countered while slinking off his leather jacket—Revealing a pair of toned arms that Magnus has more than enjoyed working on.</p><p> </p><p>--OR-- AU in which Magnus finds out why Alec gets so many tattoos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Name Would Be A Good Tattoo

“He’s back,” Dot announces with a sing-song sort of voice, as she leaps away from the window.

The lull of the Tuesday afternoon made it so Magnus lounged carelessly on one of the seats alining the wall of the tattoo parlor, flipping through the latest issue of Vogue. But at the sound of Dot’s announcement, Magnus finds himself subconsciously straightening upwards.

“You know darling, you don’t have to say that every time he comes.”

“Oh?” Dot hikes up a pair of mischievous brows. “Then how can I warn you to prevent any of your drooling.”

“Blasphemy,” Magnus scoffs indignantly. “I don’t drool!”

“What ever you say darling,” Dot jeers with a pixilated glint in her dark eyes. “I’m gonna go meet up with Luke for lunch, you just make sure to remember that this place actually does have cameras, m’kay?” And with a wink directed his way, she frolics out of sight, towards the back entrance.

Magnus gives a shake of his head at her ridiculous words. 

Really, It’s ridiculous. She’s convinced—Despite there not being any evidence to back up her claim—That Magnus and this particular costumer have some sort of flirtatious banter going on.

It’s so utterly untrue!

Because yeah, Alec Lightwood might actually look as if he’s a mirror of some sort of long forgotten moon god, and sure they tend to stare at each other for longer than necessary…But it was all very professional for the vast majority of the time.

Alec has been coming around for months at this point, if he was actually interested in Magnus for more than his looks, he would have asked him out at this point.

The chime of the door swinging open drags Magnus out of his musings.

“Hello Alexander,” Magnus beams. “I was getting worried that you wouldn’t come by this week.”

“Hey Magnus,” a tempered down grin toys with the edges of the man’s mouth in greeting, but Magnus caught the way his stunning hazel eyes shone with amusement by his sarcasm. “Don’t tell me now that you’ve become annoyed by my coming so often.”

Magnus stomach twisted with affection that he hasn’t allowed himself to feel in a long while—But like a thief in the night, Alexander has penetrated Magnus’s defenses without his even knowing it.

“I suppose not,” Magnus huffs out exasperatedly, as he pats down on one of the empty seats. “I mean you practically pay for half my rent.”

“And here I thought you enjoyed my enthralling conversations about alternate dimensions, and my demonic cat,” Alec countered while slinking off his leather jacket—Revealing a pair of toned arms that Magnus has more than enjoyed working on.

“I didn’t take you for being so conceded,” Magnus teases, and the pair fall into an easy laughter.

“So tell me, what do you have in mind today,” Magnus gives a flourish to where the designs are plastered onto the large, left wall. (He’s only slightly smug when he turns around to catch Alec’s gaze melting over the ones already painted onto Magnus’s biceps.”

“Ah—“ Alec reddens with an aversion of his eyes. “I was actually hoping that you could maybe do something I picked out.”

“NO problem,” Magnus smiles as he settles in his seat, needles and tools already set up.

Alec hands him a small slip with a Japanese script that Magnus actually recognizes.

“This is the name of a pretty popular Manga…”

“Yeah, it is.”

Magnus hikes up a brow in question. “I wouldn’t have taken you for the type to read about ninjas, and alien squids.”

“By the angel,” Alec blanches. “Is that really what they’re about?”

“NO,” Magnus chuckles with a fond shake of the head.

“Oh…thank God.”

“So this one isn’t for you?”

“It’s for my little brother actually,” Alec clarifies, and continues to explain when spotting the questioning glance swept across Magnus’s face. “He’s going through another round of chemo—”

The gun in Magnus’s hand slips from his grasp in shock. “Oh! I-I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Alec levels Magnus with a look gleaming of Ernest. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” Magnus nods, and returns to prickling the tattoo onto the bare patch of skin. (Praying to all the gods above that Alec wouldn’t catch the heat that rushed to the tips of his ears.

“And besides, they found it pretty early, it looks good for a full recovery.”

“Good,” his voice sounds far too relieved for it to be merely plutonic worry. “So, ah the Manga.”

“Oh, ah right,” Alec sputters out with a flush coloring his cheeks. “Max, my brother, yeah, he loves this series, and he loves tattoos, but he’s still too young to get them, and my parents are pretty belligerent in the idea that tatts are for delinquents or whatever…”

“So…You’re getting it for him?” Magnus surmises.

“Yeah…yeah I am. I promised Max that for every chemo or radiation session he has, I’d get a tattoo of his choosing, and by the time he’s 18, I’d pay for him to get it done identically as mine

“So these,” Magnus glides his gaze over Alec’s left arm. “Are all for your younger brother?”

“Is that strange?” Alec smiles abashedly.

“I was thinking more along the lines of remarkable,” Magnus mutters, A warmth blossoming in his chest, something akin to adoration. 

But that’s absolutely ridiculous.

Because Magnus has only known this man for half a year at most, and this is the first time he’s become privy to such an intimate detail of his life.

But then Alec parts his lips to respond, and Magnus thinks that the way his words crash into one another—That perhaps he feels it too.

“A-actually um…Ah one of them is my choice—Well more like something all my siblings and I wanted to have…You know as like a bond between us…” Alec tentatively points to a particularly artful mark on his forearm, cautious not to touch Magnus’s hand—As if he would be set aflame if he would do so. “I don’t know if you remember a couple months back when I came here with my sister, and other brother.”

“Ah yes, the raven haired beauty, and arrogant blonde,” Magnus recalls as he looks up, prodding himself every few moments so he does not drown himself in Alec’s stunning hazel hues.

“Exactly,” Alec chuckles. 

“I presume you’re the oldest then?” He returns looking at the nearly complete tattoo.

“Yeah,” the corner of Alec’s mouth turns up into a bashful smile. “What gave it away?”

“I’m quite perceptive Alexander,” Magnus leers tauntingly. “But how do you keep it from you’re parents? The tattoos I mean.”

“I’m gay,” Alec states matter-of-factly. “I’m already beyond help in their eyes…”

Magnus perks up at the sudden revelation, because sure he’s had his suspicions, (Alec spent more time gawking at the way Magnus’s hands move, rather than the pictures they created to color his body for the rest of his life,) but hearing him speak it out loud so openly was a nice confirmation.

“I’m sorry,” Magnus’s eyes flicker upwards to find a very at ease Alec. “It hurts when family can be so close minded.”

Alec gives a shrug to his right shoulder. “I’ve got my brothers, and sister, and a few friends who I’d trust my life with—That’s all the family I need.”

“That’s a nice way of looking at it,” Magnus nods before parting himself from his completed work. (Ignoring how he might miss the sensation of being in such close proximity with Alec.) “All done, let me just get some gauze.”

When he returns, Magnus enjoys how Alec is gawking at the simple words as if it were a work by Michelangelo.

“You like it?” He asks before finishing up.

“It’s amazing,” Alec marvels. “Max is going to love it.”

Magnus is excited for him, and the youngest Lightwood—But then a pained expression pans over Alexander’s lovely face. “Is everything alright?”

Alec’s features quickly harden into a resigned expression of apathy—One that has begun to subside throughout the months they have known one another—Though the hard look doesn’t last, and Alec permits an unmasked vulnerability to etch itself in his cutting jaw line, and vivid eyes.

“Yeah, it’s all good…It’s just that Max’s appointment ends in a few minutes…”

“Oh, well I’m about done here. I just need—“

“NO!” Alec exclaims. “That’s not it.”

“Okay…Then what is it?” Magnus is completely befuddled at this point.

“I was just wondering—I mean you’re probably busy and all—But maybe we could…I don’t know…Get a drink sometime?”

“Oh,” Magnus can’t find the words to respond. In truth, he’s been more than crushing on Alexander for a while now—And here he was, this adorable, and enrapturing man, asking him out on an actual date.

“The conversation doesn’t have to be this heavy, you know? I mean I could just tell you more about Church or something—And you could definitely just say no! I’ll just get my tattoos done somewhere else and—“ Alec staggers out, obviously taking the silence as a bad sign.

“No! No!” Magnus is quick to admonish. “I would love that.”

A stunning sort of grin splays across Alec’s face, “Great!”

They exchange numbers before Alec races off to show the newly etched mark to his youngest brother.

And Magnus wonders whether or not this thrilling sensation of embarking on something completely different from anything else he has ever experienced, will ever ware off when around Alexander.

He seriously doubts it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so so so much for reading<3  
> Pleaseeeeeee let me know what you thought XD<3<3  
> (NO joke, comments give me life)  
> Talk to me on my tumblr » MaleczAngel


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